Peacemakers: e-link Bulletin No.15 May 2018

A  Volunteer In Kenya!

Three years on and a return visit to Peacemakers Kenya …. wow what a difference!
It was truly amazing to see all that had happened and the huge progress that is making such an impact on the local community : the computer room in regular use,

the library stocked with a fantastic selection of books and resources, and the ever expanding “farm”, with livestock, an incubator for chicken production and the wonderful greenhouse producing yet more plants for selling on.

It was especially exciting to see how successful the impressive café is proving. Now up and running and supporting the community with superb hospitality and such impressive food that even the guests who had rented it for the day asked to take any spare food home with them !

What hadn’t changed of course was the warm welcome, the gratitude and friendliness of the Kenyan people, young and old, where the sun shone out from their very souls.

This time my visit was predominantly to support the local schools with “Purposeful Play”, inspired by Brenda`s daughter, Kim. I was lucky enough to visit three local settings where I was able to demonstrate the importance of play to support physical development, particularly with the youngest children in Nursery and Reception classes. Not only did the children have great fun but the adults definitely did as well ! These play resources can now be borrowed from the Peacemakers` Resource Centre whenever desired, and enjoyed for many years to come.

It is with huge thanks to friends and family who supported my fundraising that not only was I able to take out a fantastic range of resources but I was also able to give money to fund the construction of a more stable and secure driveway down onto the site. This means that they have now accessibility for all. This is especially important to the visitors who arriving by wheelchair, found the route down to the worship hall, resource area and café impossible. How amazing was it that within hours of handing over the money, lovely Zongo and team were preparing the driveway and within days it had been completed !!

Provision for all, including the more vulnerable allows Peacemakers to reach far into the community, to touch the lives of so many people. Visiting families with clothes, supporting with medical needs and all with the cheerful anticipation that the steadfast truck may just need a little hand now and then !

None of this would have been made possible without the support and dedication of Brenda, working tirelessly here in the UK. And of course, to lovely Chrissie and her wonderful “right hand man”, Isaac; it is with such heart-felt thanks that my love goes out to them and all the wonderful team out in Kenya. Thank you for your incredible hospitality and supporting everything I achieved.

Some how humour and God`s love gets them through each and every day and each and every challenge !

I have returned with such very special memories and feel truly honoured that I could spend just a short while with them.
Thank you again Peacemakers; thank you Kenya !
Liz Darlington x

New Year eBulletin 2018

Welcome to the Peacemakers New Year eBulletin 2018. With so much bad news in the world, we hope we can lift your spirits with a short, encouraging story of a then student, Tom Beak, returning to Peacemakers Kenya after 7 years!

"When my first visit to Kathagari came to an end in 2010, I was adamant that I'd return soon. At the time, I did not imagine that this return would come a full 7 years later, but it was well worth the wait!.

The work that Chrissie has done with the local community and the progress made on the site is incredible - the plot was unrecognisable. Where I remembered building works, now stands a number of very impressive buildings - some in full use (such as the IT training centre) and some ready to be a roaring success (such as the Cafe).

It was great to see many recognisable and friendly faces (not least because I'd spent the previous few weeks alone on the back of a motorbike), but the real pleasure came from being able to contribute in a tangible way. With help from Brenda and Chrissie (and the generosity of my late Grandad), we were able to provide water filters to selected local families,

 

...school packs to the graduating class at Kivuria Primary School (Peacemakers' neighbour) and a new printer for the IT training room.

It meant a great deal to contribute to a place where I have such fond memories and to finally fulfil my promise to return. Visiting Kathagari and witnessing the positive work that Peacemakers continue to do...

...working with the local community rather than for it, is always a rewarding and enlightening experience - as such, I have already promised to revisit and really hope it's not another 7 years before I do!"

 

Fundraiser For Peacemakers Kenya, hosted by Liz Darlington.

 New Year drinks evening at Seer Green Friday 19th January     7.30 - 10.30 pm

£5 to include a glass of mulled wine and nibbles.

RSVP.  Liz Darlington 

In 2015 I was lucky enough to visit this amazing organization. This year I am looking to return with the intention of supporting families and young children in a pre-school setting. Any funds raised during this evening will go directly towards resources out in Kenya.  

Please bring along any unwanted Christmas presents and get a free go at the raffle. If you cannot attend and would like to buy raffle tickets, I am happy to sell them separately!  

Thank you so much for your support with this and I look forward to seeing you there!

What a wonderful story, thank you Tom! And Liz's fundraiser and trip to Kenya are eagerly anticipated! Peacemakers would like to encourage anyone who has a heart to help those in need, to spend a week or two volunteering with us in Kenya. These opportunities truly can be a life changing experience, as so many have found out! Helping the Kenyans work their way out of poverty and with Peacemakers great facilities for their health and education, let’s thank God for his blessings and allowing us to continue being part of the answer to people’s needs.

A Happy and prosperous new year to you all,

From Brenda & the team.

Peacemakers Kenya Management Plan

The following statement is being distributed in and around Peacemakers Kenya, to give everyone an understanding of how we intended to run and maintain the facilities there long term. A PDF version of the document can be read, downloaded or printed using this link.

Brenda Marshall, Director of Peacemakers International, would like to inform you of the changes that are being made for the future and maintenance of Peacemakers Christian Community Resource Centre at Kivuria, near Kathageri. The centre has to generate money to become self-supporting from the hiring of functioning buildings, equipment, micro-enterprises, training courses and many other projects that the whole community benefit from. We hope local businesses will see the potential in sponsoring some of the events and benefiting also themselves by having conferences using and enjoying the wonderful facilities available for all.

We have recently had the Annual General Meeting, at which new members were elected from community nominations. First though, I would like to thank those people who have been serving Peacemakers since the death of my husband Dennis Marshall, the founder of Peacemakers Kenya in 1992.
There are many people I want to thank for giving their time, love, care and skills in nurturing the development of this huge project, for which Pastor Dennis from the UK, laid the Spiritual foundation:

Pastor Sammy Gitungu whom Dennis first met in Norway and who invited us to come to Kenya to share the “Good News”. I want to thank him for his steadfastness and faithfulness through all the difficulties that have occurred in our journey together. He has also served as Chairman for many years, even after he retired as an EAPC overseer and now continues to serve as our Honorary Member of Peacemakers and Pastor of God’s Vision.

Grace Kauma was one of the first people that we met when arriving in Embu and Dennis said that she was a person that would be involved in God’s work in the future, and so she has. She has always been so very wise and supportive in all the events that we have organised, especially playing a great role in training courses. She is a great one in gathering people together, a great public speaker and is able to convey the mission of Peacemakers to all. I would like to thank her for her good work as Secretary and her acceptance of becoming the new Chairperson.

Lucy Ndwiga. When we met Lucy Ndwiga, she was already interested and involved in Drugs’ Awareness. She readily became one of those involved in our Campaign against Drug Abuse (CADA group) with her busy life; she still managed to serve as our Treasurer up until recently. My gratitude to you, Lucy, for your time, love and dedication to serving Peacemakers as an official and for continuing to be one of our main supporters.

These, and many others (Emily Nyaga (Pendo), the late Kavungura, Jacinta Kinyua, James Riua, Phoebe Ndwiga) have been the backbone and developers of the mission of Peacemakers and the growth of the Resource Centre. I want to acknowledge the importance of their input to us over the years. A special thankyou goes to Peter Githaka Njagi, who has served as a loyal Chairman with a true servant heart; now to become the Treasurer. My congratulations and thanks go to him, alongside some other long serving dedicated trustees who remain on the new Board of Trustees. They are:

Chairperson: – Madam Grace Kauma
Secretary: – Patrick Kabuthi
Treasurer: – Peter Wagakindi
Elizabeth Wangui
Pastor Nephat Nyaga
Gitonga Njagi
Phides Rwamba
Joan Murugi
Revd Sammy Gitungu, Honorary Member of Peacemakers
Christine Gibbard is a volunteer, working alongside the trustees as the UK representative and Project Director

Peacemakers UK are the owners of the Resource centre but it “belongs” to the community in Kenya as they enjoy its amenities with Christine Gibbard being their representative on site and project Director. All the trustees will oversee the new Management Team, who are involved in:-

The spiritual mission of bringing church leaders together; being PEACEMAKERS
Community service to vulnerable people,
Projects that will raise funds, (poultry rearing, greenhouse produce, Pamoja Café etc.)
Hosting further education and life skills training.
We want Jesus Christ to be at the Head of everything we are trying to achieve, living by His principles; loving and caring for each other and making room for the Holy Spirit to bind us together in Love. God bless you.

Signed
Brenda Marshall
Director of Peacemakers UK.

e-link bulletin No.14 Sept 2017

Summer is over and the children are starting a new year at school, an expensive time for all parents, buying uniforms and books.  Likewise for Kenyan parents too who, until recently, had to pay school fees as well or not attend school, but I’m very pleased to inform you now that the Kenyan Government do pay teachers wages for primary  school education only (not senior school) and have recently began to sponsor a classroom and one teacher’s pay for nursery education, but not all schools yet. Unfortunately there is still no ‘special needs care’.  Peacemakers has some responsibility for Kuvuria School which is situated close by our Resource Centre. It has primary and senior classes and also a handicapped residential unit. Young people of all ages from the unit attend the primary school! Christine is on the Board of Governors and is a very active member in their personal care, transporting them to hospital appointments.

 

 

 

 

 

 

At this point I would like to extend my thanks and appreciation to friends of Peacemakers who have faithfully supported (and still are) a needy child through school and who have knitted green school jumpers and organised fund raising events for improving their living facilities and funding disabled toilets and wash rooms on school premises.

On Christine’s return to Kenya in July, the Irish Embassy visited our Centre to inspect how we spent their donation, they left very satisfied and pleased with the outcome.  One of the conditions of spending was to buy and erect a greenhouse to help the community to become more self sufficient.

We are endeavoring to start a Mother/Grandparent/Toddler group at our Resource Centre  and also an Adult Reading Class for the non educated adults whose parents were not able to pay school fees.  Liz Darlington who has volunteered and visited Kenya before, is planning to go again in the new year to help Grace Kauma with the next stage.  Her visit has been delayed because of the Kenyan Presidential Election’s default and the re-Election has now been scheduled for the 17th October. Liz is going to organise a Fund Raiser before she leaves for Kenya, this will help pay for her visit and to pay for the registration of these two groups and other expenses incurred.  So if you would like to support her in any way, please get in touch with me.

Kim Lambden and her colleague Dr.Len Almond have just completed an inspirational learning book for under 5s ‘Step into Purposeful Play’ and I have sent a copy over to Kenya for Grace and Liz to introduce and take into classes in Kenya. Liz will also attend one of Kim's training courses before she leaves for Kenya.

Sadly Kim’s colleague died recently but he did see their work in print.  You can view the book on her website; www.stepintopurposefulplay.com

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As you know we are in a transition stage in Kenya. We have stopped paying wages and are encouraging the Kenyans to become self employed, which is a very difficult thing to achieve, simply because the communities are so poor and cannot help themselves even though they are trying. I have written several times to my MP to ask if they could divert a little amount of the huge Aid the UK sends to Kenya and Commonwealth countries, to cover overheads and help maintain the Resource Centre, but without success. We have also written letters to Business Houses in Kenya (list of names provided by Minister for Kenya ) to support financially the Centre at the same time enjoying the facilities for holding conferences there and benefiting from their investment, without response. We have had, on the other hand, a financial one off donation last year from the French Embassy and this year a donation from the Irish Embassy.  Nothing from the British Embassy although they have been approached. Also we won the Good Samaritan Award. Leading up to the General Election in August. We held election campaigns on our site and I'm sure will be used again, in the build up for the re-Election. So you can begin to see how difficult it is for the poor to have a voice and to receive any help from their own Government.

Breaking News from Kenya:

Christine is having a second operation on her eye in Kenyatta Hospital Nairobi on 17th October.  Please support her at this difficult time in prayer.  Thank you

The Presidential Election that took place 9th August 2017 was judged as default and a re-Election was planned for 17th October,  however, this has now been changed to 26th October 2017.  All our plans have come to a halt re. ECD Educational Dept. as nobody will commit themselves because the Government is still not settled.

Make sure you see our next bulletin when Tom Beak’s visit to Kenya will be featured and hopefully the situation in Kenya will be more settled.

God Bless you.

Brenda & the team